FIR against doctor for allegedly taking kickbacks in form of foreign trips

The preliminary investigation was conducted related to the funding of an air ticket to Singapore and Malaysia for the doctor and his wife by a tent house owner, which revealed further evidence of alleged corruption by the health official.

As per a recent media report in the Deccan Herald, the preliminary enquiry was conducted by the CBI after they received a reference from the Chief Vigilance Officer of the NTPC, New Delhi to probe the allegation of demanding and accepting bribe money by the doctor.

According to the report of the preliminary enquiry, a contractor identified as Anoop Kumar through a travel website booked tickets to a foreign country for the doctor and his wife on the assurance of getting labour contract in NTPC.

As per the FIR, "There was an Annual Rate Contract for hiring of Tent items/services executed between M/s NTPC, Unchahar and M/s Lucky Tent House (Proprietor - Shri Anoop Kumar) for a period from 13.08.2018 to 12.08.2020, and the bills raised by the said private firm, were pending in NTPC, i.e., with the suspect medical officer, the then CMO, for approval, during the relevant period."

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Detailing the payment made for the air ticket, the FIR stated, "Enquiry further revealed that Shri Anoop Kumar Sonkar, made an online payment of Rs.1,49,621.70 from Bank A/c No. 35513305445 maintained in the name of his firm M/s Lucky Tent House, with SBI, NTPC, Unchahar, in favour of M/s Make My Trip, on 20.06.2019, for the foreign tour of Suspect Officer and his wife to Malaysia and Singapore from 29.06.2019 to 06.07.2019."

The probe also revealed that an amount of Rs 10 lakhs was paid by a Medical Representative, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, to the former CMO via banking channel, during the period of July-November in 2019 on the assurance of receiving an order of medical supplies in return.

Further, detailing the alleged corrupt practiced by the doctor, the FIR noted, "During enquiry, it has also been learnt about the corrupt practices and demanding & accepting of bribe money, by the then CMO, in criminal conspiracy with others, in the process of selection of paramedical staff on contractual basis for the NTPC Hospital."

The doctor was dismissed from his services before his normal period of retirement which was on 28.07.2021 after an earlier vigilance enquiry by the NTPC, reports the Deccan Herald.

A case has been filed under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (amended in 2018) against the doctor, and the official in charge of the investigation is Inspector, CBI, ACB, Lucknow, Gaurav Prakash.

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